Syrians explain the horror of the Alawian family who was killed in their home

The interim Syrian leader called for unity as violence and revenge killings continued in the area that expelled former leader Bashar al-Assad on Sunday.

Hundreds of people reportedly fled their homes in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus – a hub for Assad’s support.

Locals describe scenes of looting and mass murder, including children.

In Hai al-Kusor, a neighborhood to the Alawians, primarily in the coastal city of Banias, residents say the streets are filled with scattered bodies, stacked and covered in blood. A man of a different age was shot dead there, an eyewitness said.

The Alawites are derivatives of Shia Islam and account for around 10% of Syria’s population. This is the majority of Sunni Muslims. Assad belongs to a sect.

People were so scared they couldn’t see out the window on Friday. My internet connection is unstable, but once I connected I learned about the death of my neighbor from a Facebook post.

One man, Ayman Farez, told the BBC that he was saved by recent incarceration. He had posted a video in August 2023 on his Facebook account, criticizing Assad for his corrupt rules. He was soon arrested and was released only last December when Muslim-led troops released prisoners after Assad’s collapse.

The fighter who raided the city of Hai Al-Kusor recognized him, so he escaped death, but did not plunder. They took his car and continued to raid other homes.

“They were strangers, I can’t pinpoint their identity or language, but they looked like Uzbek or Chechnya,” Fares told me over the phone.

“There were Syrians with them, but not from official security. Some civilians were among the people who committed the murder,” he added.

Farez said he saw his family killed in his home and the women and children covered in blood. Some families ran on the rooftop and hid, but were unable to escape bloodshed. “That’s scary,” he said.

The UK-based Syrian Human Rights Observation Deck recorded more than 740 civilians killed in coastal cities in Latakia, Jabru and Banias. Another 300 security force members and the remains of the Assad regime were reportedly killed in the clash.

The BBC was unable to independently verify the number of deaths.

Farez said things were stable when the Syrian Army and security forces arrived in Banias city. They ousted other factions out of the city and provided corridors for families to access safe areas, he said.

Ali, another resident of Banias, confirmed Mr Fares’ account, who asked not to use his full name. Ali, who lived in Kusur with his wife and 14-year-old daughter, fled the house with the help of security forces.

“They came to our building. We were scared just to hear the fire and screams of our neighbors.

“They were chasing money. They knocked our neighbor’s door with his car, his money, and all the money or valuables he had in his house. But he was not killed.”

Ali and his family were greeted by his Sunni neighbours. The Sunni neighbours follow another branch of Islam and are now with them. “We lived together for years, Alawis, Sunni, Christian. We’ve never experienced this,” he told me.

“The Sunnis rushed to protect the Alawites from the murders that took place, and now official troops are in town and restoring order.”

Ali said his family will be taken to a school in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood where members of the faction who committed the murder will be protected until they are expelled from Banias.

The violence began on Thursday, with Assad’s loyalists refusing to abandon their weapons – ambushing security forces around coastal cities in Latakia and Jable, killing dozens of people.

Geas Dara, former Brigadier General of Assad’s army, announced a new rebellion against the current government, saying that he has established a “military council for the liberation of Syria.”

Several reports suggest that former Assad regime guards who refused to abandon their weapons are forming resistance groups in the mountains.

Farez said most of the Alawite community rejected them and blamed Dara and other Hardline Assad’s loyalists for violence.

“They are benefiting from the bloodshed that is happening. What we need now is official security to prosecute murderers from factions that have committed mass murders, and for the country to restore security,” he said.

But others also denounced Ahmad Alshara’s interim president, saying he lost a clear strategy to demolish Syrian security, army and police facilities, deal with thousands of officers and staff, and left the unemployed.

Some of these individuals had nothing to do with the killings during the Assad regime, especially among the police. The new authorities have also dismissed thousands of civil servants from their work.

With 90% of Syria’s population living under the poverty line and thousands remaining without income, it is a fertile basis for the rebellion.

There is a split in the Syrian landscape as to what is going on. The wider community has condemned the murder of civilians, and demonstrations are organized in Damascus, mourning death and denounced violence.

However, in the past two days, various parts of Syria have been seeking “jihad.” Banias residents said there were civilians armed and joined forces with the faction in killings.

Syrian majority Sunnis have faced atrocities at the hands of the military of Assad regime for the past 13 years. This promoted sectarian hatred against Alawian minority, primarily in which community members are affiliated with war crimes.

Human rights groups say there is evidence that Alawian security guards were involved in the murder and torture of thousands of Syrians who were Sunni Muslims during the Assad regime.

The members of the murdered Army and security forces are primarily from Sunni communities, and now some of the Sunni communities are seeking retaliation, but the president is calm.

Sharaa, who had overthrown Assad three months ago, must balance the pursuit of justice for the crimes of the Assad regime and its henchmen, and provide security for all.

He has authority over some of the army that helped him to take power, but some factions are clearly out of his control. These factions also include foreign fighters with a fundamental Muslim agenda.

To lead Syria to a safe and democratic future, many argue that Shara needs to end the existence of foreign fighters and provide a constitution that protects the rights of all Syrians, regardless of background or religion.

Although he is seen as working towards such a constitutional legal framework, dominating violent factions and expelling foreign fighter jets proves a major challenge.